AI art generators have revolutionised how retail shops create professional, eye-catching marketing images. Today, any retailer with no graphic design experience can design custom visuals for free. Whether you want to update pamphlets, POS displays, or social media with unique, on-brand images, AI art offers a practical, accessible solution as creating professional, eye-catching pictures for your retail shop’s marketing can now be done for free, as today’s AI art generators make it possible for small business owners to design custom visuals with no graphic design background required. If you’re looking to refresh your pamphlets, POS displays, or social media with unique, on-brand images, AI art is a practical solution you can start using straight away.

Recently, I needed images for a POS Solutions pamphlet. Despite having no artistic background, I was able to create several professional visuals in minutes. See above. I liked them all, so I will leave it to our marketing guy, Garth, to decide which one, if any, to use.

Now I’ll share my process and tips to help you do the same for your business.

To get started, you need two things: an art prompt and an AI art generator. The generator takes your written description, known as a prompt, and transforms it into a high-quality image. Best of all, you can use these images commercially for free. For retailers, this means you can easily create pictures that match your shop’s personality and brand.

I decided on Flux, which is free, but it requires some technical skill to set up, and it also requires a high-end computer. But there are many others now free that can run on any computer. I suggest looking at ChatGPT and Grok, both of which make lovely images for free.

It is easy to do, write your image prompt, which is 

Draw "what you want to have an image of"

and wait.

Here are some image prompts that I use for you. These are for you to experiment with 

**Bauhaus Functionalism**    An ultra-realistic image re-envisioning the POS Solutions logo through a stark Bauhaus lens. The logo is constructed from fundamental geometric shapes using primary colored glass and polished chrome. The 'P' is a red circle and rectangle, the 'O' a yellow circle, and the 'S' a series of blue curves, all rendered in smooth, solid-colored glass. The "Solutions" text is built from thin chrome bars. The sculpture is placed within a minimalist architectural space with bare concrete walls and a simple grid window. The lighting is stark, functional, and direct, casting hard-edged shadows, reflecting the movement's emphasis on form, function, and industrial modernism.
 

**Gothic Obsidian**    An ultra-realistic, high-resolution image of the POS Solutions logo as a monolithic sculpture carved from polished black obsidian and smoky quartz. The acronym "POS" features bold, heavy forms, with the stylized 'S' elegantly overlapping the 'O' in a fluid, obsidian curve. Above it, two italicized bars are chiseled from the same dark crystal. To the right, "Solutions" is etched in a finer, translucent smoky quartz, while the "Smart software" tagline is subtly engraved in matte grey slate. The entire sculpture rests on a cold stone floor within a vast, dark cathedral interior. Dramatic, high-contrast chiaroscuro lighting, reminiscent of a Caravaggio painting, streams from a distant stained-glass rose window, casting long, colorful shadows and highlighting the sharp, reflective edges of the obsidian. The mood is somber, epic, and reverent, blending corporate form with ancient gravitas.

Render the POS Solutions logo as an ultra-detailed, hyper-realistic glass sculpture, with "POS" crafted from deep navy blue transparent crystal, each letter bold and heavy. The stylized is enlarged and curves gracefully over the its surface polished to a high gloss, refracting light in intricate, gem-like patterns. Above the  two thick, italicized bars, also in navy crystal, are sharply beveled and highly reflective. To the right, "Solutions" is depicted in a thinner, elegant, sans-serif font in translucent navy crystal, while beneath it, "Smart software" is rendered in a soft matte grey crystal. The logo is set against a softly blended pastel background, with gradients of blue and pink, and is surrounded by vibrant, prismatic shadows and highlights. Studio lighting accentuates the reflective and refractive qualities of the crystal, creating an atmosphere that is elegant, dreamy, and technologically sophisticated.
 

Modify each by removing POS Solutions and replacing it with your shop name, the brand you are promoting, etc. 

An exercise I find helpful is creating something you like, then asking the AI, 'Here is my prompt, make it better,' and seeing what it comes up with. If it is not what you want tell it so and ask it to redo. 

Once you’ve created your images, use them across your marketing materials, eg pamphlets, social media, website banners, or in-store signage. Consistent, original and high-quality visuals help your shop look professional, making a real difference in how customers perceive your business. Google ranks them well, as each image is original. Google likes original material.  According to Shopify, retailers using original images see up to 30% higher engagement rates.

Try out the example prompts above, and see how easy it is to create stunning visuals for your retail business. 

If it all seems a bit too hard, please let me know, and I'll create some images for you. I have to have something to do with my retirement.

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director of POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience, now retired and seeking new opportunities. He consults to various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.